‘Flood efforts won’t stop’

FIREFIGHTERS from Burton have been helping communities down south that have been devastated by serious flooding.

Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service confirmed that two firefighters based at Burton Fire Station, and two that live in the town, had given up their free time to help the relief effort in Slough, Berkshire.

Residential areas of the town were left immersed in water following days of continuous rainfall last week.

Tim Hyde, from the fire service, said two individuals were due to travel down yesterday as part of a six-man high-volume pumping crew.

He said: “Some of the staff at Burton have given up their rest days to go down there. We have another crew who were sent down there on Tuesday as part of a boat crew of eight which have been drawn from all over the county, a couple of which live in Burton.

“They have dropped their workload and have been sent down there with crews from Tamworth and Newcastle under Lyme.

“We have been helping out in areas affected by the River Thames and responding to any requests for assistance from members of the public.

“We are expecting it to go on for quite a while. Even if it stops raining we will still carry on.”

The relief efforts were due to go on until tomorrow, with further manpower to be deployed if needed.

Mr Hyde added that firefighter numbers were not reduced in the county as a result. He said: “It is important that local people know that in the main it’s people from the training department, or that are on rest days, that have gone down. We are fully staffed here. People have even given up their holidays. We don’t let them go if they are on duty here.”

The training section is where new firefighters are recruited and where refreshment training is carried out.